| DRIVERS PRAISE HOMESTEAD CHANGES |
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Johnny Benson, Dave Blaney and Scott Wimmer have become the first NASCAR drivers to try the newly reconfigured Homestead-Miami Speedway as part of a Goodyear tire test, and they say they like what they’ve found. “I think it’s a big improvement,” said Wimmer after the test began Tuesday. “It’s a lot different. I’ve already driven a couple of different lines out there and there are a couple of different ways around the track. The high side seems real good, and so does the middle groove.” Benson and Blaney agreed with Wimmer’s assessment. “I’m really impressed with it, although it still doesn’t have any rubber on it since we’re the first ones here,” said Benson. “This place will become really fast, and I’m sure you’ll see two-wide racing.” “I think we all like it,” said Blaney. The three drivers were scheduled to wind up their test today. |
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| TESTING TO END AT ROCKINGHAM |
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North Carolina Speedway says two days of Winston Cup and Busch Series tests are scheduled to wind up this afternoon. Winston Cup drivers expected to take part included Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bobby Labonte, Evernham Motorsports’ Bill Elliott and Petty Enterprises’ Kyle Petty. Expected to test Busch Series entries were Martin Truex Jr., Eric McClure and Elton Sawyer. |
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| DOMINO’S DEAL TO INCLUDE SHOW-CAR APPEARANCES |
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Domino’s Pizza says terms of its recently signed associate sponsorship deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s No. 15 Chevrolet driven by Michael Waltrip call for a show car to be displayed at 90 Domino’s stores across the country next year. Waltrip will also participate in Domino’s advertising, online marketing initiatives and promotions, and his car will carry a Domino’s logo, according to today’s Sports Business Daily. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. |
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| TRIAL TO BE PUSHED BACK |
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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the lawsuit seeking to force NASCAR to award Texas Motor Speedway a second Nextel Cup race won’t be starting in January. Samuel A. Cherry Jr., the attorney for Speedway Motorsports Inc. shareholder Francis Ferko and co-plaintiff Russell Vaughn, told the paper that both sides are attempting to agree on a new schedule. Cherry is seeking a May date in U.S. District Court in Sherman, Texas, but NASCAR’s legal team wants to delay the proceedings until September. |
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| REESE’S TO BACK HARVICK BUSCH CAR |
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Hershey Foods says its Reese’s peanut butter cups will replace its Payday brand as the sponsor of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet that Kevin Harvick will drive in the Busch Series next year. |
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| POLL POSITION: WHO WILL WIN BUSCH TITLE? |
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This week’s NASCAR Winston Cup Scene Poll Position asks: “Who will win the Busch Series championship? David Green. Ron Hornaday. Jason Keller. Scott Riggs. Brian Vickers.” To cast your vote, visit our Web site at www.sceneplus.com. You may also mail your response to NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, Attn: Editor, Poll Position, 120 W. Morehead St., Suite 320, Charlotte, NC 28202, or fax it to (704) 973-1303. We also invite you to include a comment about your selections. Comments may be faxed, mailed or e-mailed to letters@sceneplus.com. Of the 437 votes cast in the Oct. 16 Poll Position, 45.5 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to attend NASCAR season previews in Daytona, 42.1 percent said they had never attended one and 3.4 percent had no opinion.
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| NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK |
| BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING |
3 p.m. Friday |
Speed Channel |
| WINSTON CUP QUALIFYING |
4 p.m. Friday |
Speed Channel |
| CTS CHEVY SILVERADO 150 |
5:30 p.m. Friday |
Speed Channel |
| WINSTON CUP HAPPY HOUR |
2 p.m. Saturday |
TNT |
| BUSCH SERIES BASHAS’ SUPERMARKETS 200 |
3 p.m. Saturday |
TNT |
| WINSTON CUP CHECKER AUTO PARTS 500K |
3 p.m. Sunday |
NBC |
| All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change. |
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MOTORSPORTS MARKETING FORUM ON TAP DEC. 3-4
Street & Smith’s Sports Group is proud to present the 4th Annual Motorsports Marketing Forum, Dec. 3-4, 2003, in New York City. The program has been developed for corporate sponsors and their sports marketing, advertising and public relations agencies, as well, as team, track and NASCAR executives. Open-dialogue panels and specialty sessions will examine The Growth & Changing Landscape of NASCAR; Leveraging Sponsorship Assets & Amortizing Your NASCAR Budget; Translating Fan Passion into Brand Loyalty; Strategic Differences in Driver, Team, Track and NASCAR Sponsorships; NASCAR’s Popularity as Seen Through TV’s Success; The Impact of Schedule Realignment; The New NASCAR Image; and the Impact of Rising Costs & Greater Competition. For more information or to register, visit www.SportsBusinessJournal.com/conferences, call (800) 647-7600 or e-mail dojohnson@sportsbusinessjournal.com. |
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| IN THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WINSTON CUP SCENE … |
| SPONSORSHIP SALES ARE NEVER EASY BUT REMAIN VITAL |
| BY STEVE WAID |
Sponsorship is the lifeblood of NASCAR. Without it, its teams do not exist, not to mention the sanctioning body itself. Every year, acquiring sponsorship is a major issue. A team loses a financial backer and ardently seeks a replacement. Speedways try to keep title sponsorship for their races or even track naming rights.
Even NASCAR gets into the act. Heck, it gets into it big-time. It has replaced its longtime series sponsor Winston with Nextel. And how many companies have been lured into racing by becoming the official “so and so” of NASCAR? |
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If you don’t subscribe but would like to read the rest of this story and all the rest of the news and features in the latest issue of NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, start your subscription today by clicking on www.sceneplus.com or calling 1-800-883-7323. |
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